what are the pro's and con's with breastfeeding for you not baby?

Question

We all know the benefits for the baby, but what about mum? i see the benefit that it will help the bond. But what about the cons? the truth?

Answer 1

Pro's of nursing:
-No financial cost, vs. formula which is almost $15 per can (after a full year of purchasing this stuff it gets REALLY expensive)
-You are always prepared to feed your little one no matter where you are. Can't run out of formula or bottled water when you are out, and do not need to worry about heating it up.
-In the middle of the night you do not have to get up and prepare a bottle, you just need to nurse.
-Very healthy for your little one and builds their immunities
- An excellent way to bond with your little one.

Con's to nursing
-If you are formula feeding, hubby can get up sometimes to feed your little one, nursing mom's are the only ones able to feed for the first 3 months (after that however you can pump)
- You can not leave your baby's side for the first 3 months. If you start a bottle with expressed milk prior to that you could have troubles with nursing later on.
-You have to wear nursing bra's or camisole to bed or else you will leak, these are not always very comfortable
- Nursing in public can be very inconvenient, esp. if your little one has troubles staying latched on while face is covered.
- Nursing can get very uncomfortable. Cracked nipples, etc.

Do not let anyone convince you that nursing helps you lose a significant amount of weight. While you do burn an additional 300 calories per day when nursing, you have to eat more to keep your milk coming. Yes you will continue to contract while nursing which will reduce your stomach size a bit, but not significantly. You will still have to exercise to get back to your prepregnancy weight.

Answer 2

I love nursing, although it has it challenges. The pros are the hormones you get when your milk lets down. I will feel horrible, stressed, or sad, as soon as my milk lets down, I feel a great sense of peace, love, and I mellow. I eat a ton of food, I walk a lot too, but I lost all but 5 pounds by 3 months postpartum. The food is always ready and is always sterile and it's super easy to pull out your boob. Bottles are so much work! Especially in the middle of the night. I just roll over, nurse, then go back to sleep. I don't have sleepless nights. I love watching him nurse. It's the most beautiful thing. He's 7 months now and still is exclusively breastfed -no solids yet. I take great pride knowing that is has grown so much and is so healthy simply because of the milk I've given him.

The cons, well, that 5 pounds I mentioned will likely be with me until I'm done nursing since your body needs some healthy fat to make sure you stay healthy. You need to nourish yourself. Your body will give all the good stuff to the baby, so if you don't eat right, your baby will but your body will feel it. It does get hard when your baby wont take a bottle when you are around and you need to do all the feedings. I do remember a few times when I resented my husband because he could go and do what he wanted while I needed to nurse, and nurse, and nurse at night. My son still nurses a whole lot, and sometimes when he's nursing more than usual, I'll feel touched out and won't want to be sexual with my husband; but that's not too bad since he'll just try to do whatever to relax me -lots of foot rubs.

I hope that answers your question. There are pros and cons to all feeding options. I will always feel breast is best and that all the pros heavily outweigh the cons.

Answer 3

other pros:
it can help you take off the baby weight
it can make you pay more attention to what you're eating
it's cost-effective
it can be very calming (on top of the bonding)
it can be more convenient (if you are comfortable with breast-feeding in public)

cons:
if you are at all uncomfortable about breast-feeding in public or you will frequently be away from the baby (say at work), it can be inconvenient
it can be uncomfortable (sore nipples, mostly)
it can be difficult at the start (not always, though)
it can be draining (see next reason for one reason why)

either:
it makes it hard for your significant other to take his turn in the feeding schedule -- although this can be gotten around by daily bottles. Some fathers miss this opportunity to bond with baby. Some mothers like the feeling of being needed so much.

This is a big decision and you're right to think of how it will affect you as well as the baby. A miserable mom is no good for a baby (they pick up on things like that).

Answer 4

The pros are the weight will fall off. The milk is always there, no need to worry about packing bottles, heating the milk or getting up in the middle of the night to fix bottles. The only con that I experienced is at first you might be a little ashamed to breast feed anywhere so you might be limited to what you do. After a few weeks I didnt care as long as I had a cover up. I breastfed two babies and I am so glad I did. (I gained 50 lbs with my son and 70 lbs with my daughter and both times I lost all of my weight without dieting at all)

Answer 5

I am currently nursing my almost 11 month old daughter. In my experience, I wouldn't trade nursing her for the world. When she was born, she was very small, with a mouth the size of a Fruit Loop, no joke. I am big busted, so as you can imagine, it was difficult to get her latched on correctly. I ended up with 3 breast infections by the time she was a month and a half old. My nipples hurt pretty badly when she nursed, because she never latched properly. Honestly, they still hurt sometimes, because she still has a small mouth. Normally, the nipple soreness goes away by the time the baby is about 10 days old. If you can get through that, which really isn't all that bad, then you can get through anything. There is nothing at all quite like watching your baby drink milk that you have made only for him/her, and having them look up at you and smile while milk drips out of their mouth. Another benefit for some mothers is that nursing helps you lose weight faster.

Answer 6

I honestly can't think of many cons. When I first nursed my son, it did hurt for a couple of weeks, but we got past that and I ended up nursing him for 3 years. My daughter is 2 and is still nursing...

Many women say that it "ties them down" to the baby, but I never felt the need to leave my children for an extended period. Until they were over a year old I never left them at all, and after that only for about 3-4 hours at the most. By then they could go without nursing for a while so I didn't have to worry about someone else feeding them milk while I was gone...they could eat table foods...

As far as the pros for me, it was sooo much easier to do night feedings. I did not have to worry about getting up to fix a bottle. Also, when we went somewhere, my kids' milk was right with me...no need to make bottles then either! You are right, the bond is tremendous, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Answer 7

Well, other than the cost-effectiveness of breastfeeding which benefits Mum, there is the fact that breastfeeding releases hormones that cause your uterus to shrink back to normal size more quickly and that it requires about 500 kcal per day to produce milk meaning that you will be able to lose the baby weight more quickly than a non-breastfeeding mom provided you eat sensibly. That 500kcal will add up to 3500kcal in one weeks time meaning you could lose one pound of baby weight per week. (This would not affect your baby's nutrition at all provided you are eating a sensible diet.) I say the added bonus of getting rid of the baby weight makes it a no-brainer.

However, you will experience breast soreness and nipple tenderness and will likely require some larger bras.

Hope that helps.

Answer 8

Pros:
Helps your uterus get back into shape
Baby's diapers smell less offensive (mild smelling bowel movements)
Much Less Expensive (Formula costs about $1000/yr)
Breastfeeding is relaxing for mom
Keeps you well-endowed (a benefit for your husband)
Many women don't menstruate while breastfeeding
You get to eat an extra 500 calories
Reduces your chances for breast cancer

Cons:
Some women experience a decreased sex drive when breastfeeding
Other family members can't enjoy the feeding/bonding experience
Dad can't help with the midnight feedings
Sore nipples

Answer 9

Pros:
-You have an amazing bond, i will never forget
-cheaper, cheaper, cheaper than formula
-no running to the store last minute because you ran out of formula
- you dont have to pack bottles formula, everywhere you go
- you can lie down and bresat feed at nighttime feedings

Cons:
-you are completly attached to your baby, yes you can pump, but when its time to feed, your boobs know it! and they fill up and cramp
- Leaky, if you try and skip a feeding because you pumped
- you have no chance of just sleeping thru the night and letting hubby get up for a feeding.
- PAIN! chapped nipples, cracked, and the water from the shower burns.
- you are in a nursing bra 24/7!!!! thats the part I hated, even when you sleep, or else you would be up changing the covers!


I breast fed for about 4 1/2 months, so i know the advantages and disadvantages of both! but I wouldnt have changed it for the world!

Answer 10

benefits: reduced chances of ovarian and breast cancer. cheaper. instant, no having to make formula with a screaming baby in your arms. burns 500 calories a day. you also get a healthier, smarter baby. thats a benefit to you too! doesnt it make your life easier when your baby isnt sick? also, it reduces your babys chances of SIDS, asthma, adulthood obesity, and several other diseases/conditions. Those things should help you sleep easier at night, knowing you are protecting your baby from them. When your baby is big enough, you can bring it to bed to nurse it. Which means you can sleep while your baby eats, instead of having to stay awake. More sleep for mama is a good thing.

Cons: sore nipples maybe. latching probs maybe. supply problems maybe. Most "cons" that are associated with breastfeeding can be easily solved by a quick chat/visit with the lactation consulatant at the hospital. BOOOO to anyone who thinks a few small, short term cons are good enough reaons to not breastfeed.